Organic Pest Control Research at Lafayette College by Julia Seidenstein

Hi folk,

During the summer of 2011, Julia Seidenstein ’15 was a Mellon Scholar working at the Lafayette Community Garden and Student Farm.  She focused on testing several pest control methodologies, many of them in Community Garden plots marked out with small flags.

Abstract: During the summer of 2010, much of the Lafayette College Garden had pest problems. Conventional farming uses pesticides and insecticides that kill the pests, and can also kill beneficial bugs and leave chemical residue on food and in the soil. This leads to possible health problems and pollution of water by run-off from farms. Organic pest control methodologies are different than those of conventional farming. During the growing season of 2011, organic pest control methods were implemented. Many of these methods showed positive results in reducing the amount of damage the pests caused. The results from the test plots and student garden of the 2011 summer growing season are to be discussed.

Here is her Bug Encyclopedia and here is her Implemented Organic Methods that she tried.

Click on Julia's research poster for a larger view.

Farm Market

Hello everybody!

We will be selling produce grown from the student farm on Thursday, August 25th from 11am to 1pm at the patio in front of Gilbert’s Cafe.  Come get some sweet corn, green beans, squash, and more!

Photo by Karen Clemence (Sr Assoc Dean of the College)

 

Hot hot hot!

Yikes! It’s supposed to be almost 100 degrees these next few days.  Don’t forget to keep watering but please conserve!  Water very early in the morning and very late in the evening only.

If you’re out at the garden for long, don’t forget you need water too! 🙂

Stay cool.